No Place Like Home
by Sofiana
Summary: The crew of the Christa aren't the only ones in space trying to go home.


Author's Note  
This story follows my first story, "Growing Pains" so I've alluded to it a couple of times. I wasn't all that pleased with the way that story turned out. However, I did have an idea of another story for it to lead into. This is that story. Eventually, I'll revise "Growing Pains," and make the fifth chapter the end. 

No Place Like Home 

by Sofiana 

Rosie had been the first to spot a distant planet that she nicknamed "Little Mercury" because it glowed much like her own home planet, the planet that the pink-faced, perpetually cheerful Rigelian was certain she'd see again one day. Until then, she still saw Mercury in her dreams. Suzee had once told Rosie that she talked in her sleep about it. 

Rosie had longed for a closer look at this beautiful bright dot in the sky. The crew couldn't help wanting to please Rosie. After she begged and pleased with him, Commander Goddard had reluctantly agreed to have Radu alter the course just enough for Rosie to see it up close.   


"Yes, but-but," Rosie shone slightly and the others were reminded that if upset, she might overheat and unintentionally put them in danger. "It's just that we haven't seen a single planet in... months! And Bova says that if we don't alter our course right away, we won't be able to get a good look at it." She bit her lip, embarrassed. "It... It reminds me of Mercury." 

Rosie wasn't overheating, but the crew was starting to melt. 

This was the moment when Goddard realized he had gone soft. 

"I suppose we could... pass by."   


It had been nearly a week since the Commander had allowed the crew to take this little detour. What had once only been a bright dot was now a great bright ball that shone in all its glory. Rosie was floored. The others were also fairly captivated by the planet. It was strange how much resemblance this planet bore to Mercury, and for that matter, to other planets in the Sol system. 

"I'd almost like to live there," Rosie sighed as she stood by the viewscreen instead of at her post. She reached out a gloved hand to touch the screen. The familiar sight made her so very homesick. "I'd be willing to bet that it could sustain Rigelian lifeforms, too. Maybe even human lifeforms." 

"Huh. Maybe." Radu good-naturedly humored her. 

"It isn't next to any sun so I'm sure the temperature would be agreeable by anyone's standards," she went on. "It's just so perfect. Like a little... oh, what's that word for a perfect place?" 

"You mean Utopia!" Ms. Davenport chuckled at the irony that she knew no one else would catch. _The nuisance of being a scholar._ "The Earth novel Utopia was written by Sir Thomas More. The interesting paradox in that book was that Utopia literally meant both "no place" and "good place" in the Greek language. Put that together, and you have..." 

"No place is a good place," Bova interjected. "I'd agree with that." 

"Surprise, surprise," Suzee rolled her eyes. 

Rosie frowned. "I wouldn't agree with that." 

"Surprise, surprise," Radu echoed Suzee's words in a tone of amusement rather than annoyance, smiling at his own little joke. He brushed the hair out of his face that now fell across his eyes. 

Radu had just recently finished going through an odd Andromedan growth spurt that had one particularly interesting side effect. His usually strong Andromedan hair had been temporarily weakened. By tradition, Andromedans could usually cut their hair at this time if they so desired. To everyone's shock, Radu had done just that. 

"...Christa? Is that the Christa?" 

"Still, I'd almost like to live there," Rosie said again. 

"...Christa, do you hear me?" 

"We said we'd get close, Rosie," Harlan chided her. "We didn't say we were going to stop. This trip has had far too many detours already." 

"Christa?" 

"Did you hear that?" Radu suddenly asked. Three times, a voice had called out to the Christa. He focused in on the sound. It was very faint, and yet it seemed to be coming from a nearby souce. 

"I repeat, Christa, do you read..." The rest was covered by static. Radu's eyes grew wide as he realized what this meant. 

"No, what did you hear?" Commander Goddard was already on the edge, waiting for something to go wrong. He would have seemed much like a Uranusian at the moment, considering the way his mind was working. These little detours made him nervous. No matter how minor the course alteration, something always seemed to go wrong. Their lives opperated much like a television show that always needed a central conflict. 

Radu paused to listen again. He still heard the static, but the voice was there, too. "Rosie, check your console." 

"Is something wrong?" She asked, alarmed. 

"I think someone's trying to reach us. In fact, they've done so already." 


End file.
